Developing functional thinking through bimanual movements

Abstract

This study investigates the role of bimanual movements in developing functional thinking (FT) through digital-embodied nomogram tasks. Two teaching experiments, conducted in the Netherlands and China, involved a total of 76 ninth-grade students. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combines quantitative correlation analyses with qualitative examples and mini-interviews. The findings reveal that initial FT levels, as measured by pretest scores, are significant predictors of student performance in bimanual tasks. Higher pretest scores were associated with shorter times to achieve fluency and less time spent in the fluency phase, whereas students with lower pretest scores required longer time in the fluency phase for extended exploration. Mini-interviews further showed that students with different FT levels used different strategies. Overall, our results suggest that bimanual tasks effectively support the development of FT across different student groups.